Drew
Barrymore once said, ÒAll I want is to surprise myselfÓ.
I love this quote and remind myself of it often.
If our goal
in an audition is to have something really ÒhappenÓ in the room, then what is
more electric than something that surprises us in the scene. Something unplanned. You feel the excitement and therefore
your audience feels the excitement.
When I am about to audition, I like to imagine that the scene is filled with Òmagic blank spacesÓ. These spaces can be filled by some surprising impulse you might happen to have in that moment of the scene. In these magic spaces new choices can happen, even if itÕs just a new thought.
By simply accepting that the spaces are there, you have freed yourself to allow new things to happen in every moment of the scene. This helps to bring a more creative and inventive performance out of you. Plus it no longer feels like youÕre just reciting someone elseÕs words, but instead really living, almost improvisationally in the scene.
Often actors will see a line of dialogue, and just like a good little student, they will deliver the line as is. They donÕt bother to open themselves up to all the little nuances that affect how we communicate with each other.
And the best part is that when you open yourself to allowing new things to happen, the responsibility to come up with clever ÒchoicesÓ is lifted from your shoulders. The experience is such that it seems these brilliant choices just ÒhappenedÓ.
What you allow the spaces to be filled with can be as big as a physical action or as small as a new thought passing behind your eyes.
Some examples of what could fill a magic blank space are:
-a physical action that speaks to the characterÕs inner life, such as straightening the seam on your pants, looking around the room, scratching your nose
-an added word, phrase or sound
-silence
If it
helps, you can also think of these spaces as invisible doorways. That in every
moment of a scene there is a small doorway you can open that is full of
possibility.
I had a
student who was an excellent improvisational actor. When he was doing improv he was in his element, having fun
and taking inventive risks. But
when he had to act a written scene, all the freedom was gone. It was as fun for him as if he was
delivering a book report.
Without the
understanding that he had spaces in which to invent, he didnÕt bother to
invent. He felt constricted to
follow the narrow path that he saw for himself in the scene.
Once he understood the concept of Òmagic blank spacesÓ, that in every moment of the scene he was free to allow new choices, thoughts and ideas to come to him, his scene work felt much more like his improvisational work. He was having fun again.
The
benefits of this technique are especially evident in comedy, where there is
much need for clever inventiveness.
Casting people love a comedic actor who brings to a scene elements that
they hadnÕt expected.
But this
technique is just as helpful in dramatic scenes. Allowing a new thought or image to dawn on you is just the
ticket for bringing up surprising wells of emotion.
When youÕre
auditioning, itÕs your scene, your moment of time. Own it, and make it yours. You are free to do whatever you want, as long as it fits
into the logic of the scene.
Put your
focus on your own exciting journey in the scene, not on impressing the casting
people. If you have a good acting
experience, they will see that.
When you
leave an audition, I want you to be able to think back to all the wonderful
unplanned moments you experienced.
This is why acting can be such a natural high.
ÒWhatÕs really magical about films is (an actorÕs) being inappropriate, or being irresponsible, by letting it go, by not caring. And that way the film captures magic. And a film is only as good as a collection of the best magic moments, the best lucky accidents that they happen to catch on film.Ó
-Christopher
Reeve